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Jake Shimabukuro

Nashville Sessions

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Kilauea
Blue Haiku
Jake Shimabukuro - "Ukulele Five-0" (Live) on CBC-q

Tour Dates

10/04/2019 - Poway Center for the Performing Arts / Poway, CA
10/09/2019 - Tower Theatre / Bend, OR
10/10/2019 - Elsinore Theatre / Salem, OR
10/11/2019 - Numerica Performing Arts Center / Wenatchee, WA
10/12/2019 - Mount Baker Theatre / Bellingham, WA
10/13/2019 - Admiral Theatre / Bremerton, WA
10/14/2019 - Kirkland Performance Center / Kirkland, WA
10/15/2019 - Edmonds Center for the Arts / Edmonds, WA
10/16/2019 - Craterian Theater at The Collier Center for the Performing Arts / Medford, OR
10/17/2019 - Arkley Center for the Performing Arts / Eureka, CA
10/18/2019 - Cascade Theatre / Redding, CA
10/19/2019 - CSUC Laxson Auditorium / Chico, CA
10/20/2019 - he Tower Theatre / Fresno, CA
10/22/2019 - California Polytechnic State University / San Luis Obispo, CA
10/23/2019 - Kuumbwa Jazz Center / Santa Cruz, CA
10/25/2019 - Riceland Hall / Jonesboro, AR
10/27/2019 - JCCC / Overland Park, KS
11/04/2019 - Blue Note Hawaii / Honolulu, HI
11/05/2019 - Blue Note Hawaii / Honolulu, HI
1 Hemiola Blues
2 6/8
3 Man of Mud
4 Galloping Seahorses
5 Motown
6 Celtic Tune
7 Tritone
8 Blue Haiku
9 Ballad
10 F Minor
11 Kilauea
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Jake Shimabukuro's new album, Nashville Sessions, is one of the most adventurous, multifaceted and engaging recordings yet from the man whose music has redefined the ukulele for the 21st century. In Shimabukuro's gifted hands, the age-old Hawaiian instrument has become a medium for previously undreamed of levels of expressiveness and musicianship. And with Nashville Sessions he's reached a new plateau with the instrument. The result is one of the boldest and most unique ukulele records ever made-a new benchmark for the uke. 

8 NEW  204 TOTAL
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Direct: Stingray
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INTER: Canada, Australia
Online: MOJA, SoulandJazz, Green Arrow Radio, Creative Loafing, Jazz Weekly.com, YourClassical, Radio Amsterdam, Yahoo/Movies, The Eclectic Chair, Blue Haiku, The Awesomer, Downbeat, Associated Press, Music Aficionado, Travel Weekly, Got a Ukulele, Townhall, Madhouse Magazine, Electronic Musician, 4.52am, Allmusic, Huffington Post, Southern Manners, BigIslandNow, Windy City Live

20 JazzWeek ADD's

  • No one conjures up musical magic from the ukulele like Jake Shimabukuro, and he is set to hit the Rio / Good Times
    Posted At: September 22, 2021 12:00 AM

    Good Times - ADAM JOSEPH writes ......Jake Shimabukuro is to the ukulele what Béla Fleck is to the banjo, Yo-Yo Ma is to the cello and Trombone Shorty is to, well, the trombone. He's an ambassador to an instrument that never experienced a mainstream following-Tiny Tim doesn't count. The Hawaii native's 20-plus albums have showcased interpretations of traditional Japanese exoduses into psychede...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro - Trio on makes 'Best of Echoes 2020'
    Posted At: December 12, 2020 12:00 AM

    Referred to as "the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele," Jake Shimabukuro is a true virtuoso, and exhibits his talents once again with the release of  ‘Trio', available February 14th through Music Theories Recordings. It's been a decade and a half since covering Jake's cover of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" went viral and propelled Jake to a level of success most ne...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro's joyous return to Stone Mountain Arts Center / centralmaine.com
    Posted At: November 18, 2020 12:00 AM

    Jake Shimabukuro will take the stage at 8 p.m. tonight - Thursday, Nov. 19, at Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Road in Brownfield. Shimabukuro's last show with us was completely joyous! He says the uke is the instrument of peace. Just what we need. "The Jimmy Hendrix of the ukelele," Shimabukuro has done for the uke what Bela Fleck has done for the banjo. A ukulele virtuoso and composer known ...
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  • Hawaii entertainers keep the music going during stay-at-home order / Honolulu Star-Advertiser
    Posted At: April 12, 2020 12:00 AM

    With showrooms, nightclubs, lounges and bars closed due to the coronavirus crisis, ­Hawaii-resident musicians are sharing their music and their aloha online. Some artists are posting video clips of single songs, others are presenting concert-­length performances from their homes or their yards. Jake Shimabukuro has been performing on Facebook Live for upcoming shows. Other island entertainer...
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  • 89.9WUCF: Orlando talks ukulele and 'Trio' with Jake Shimabukuro
    Posted At: March 19, 2020 12:00 AM

    Referred to as "the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele," Jake Shimabukuro is a true virtuoso, and exhibits his talents once again with the release of  ‘Trio', available through Music Theories Recordings. With nearly twenty albums already under his belt, Shimabukuro enlists the help of bassist Nolan Verner and guitarist Dave Preston, as well as legendary producer R.S. Field, in presenting the ambi...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro chats with radio about 'Trio'
    Posted At: February 24, 2020 12:00 AM

    Referred to as "the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele," Jake Shimabukuro is a true virtuoso, and exhibits his talents once again with the release of  ‘Trio', available through Music Theories Recordings. It's been a decade and a half since covering Jake's cover of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" went viral and propelled Jake to a level of success most n...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro is unique among ukulele players / Elsewhere
    Posted At: February 20, 2020 12:00 AM

    It has been 12 years since I picked up the album Gently Weeps album by the Hawaiian ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro, largely to see what he did with the George Harrison title track. You can make up your own mind on that here, but for me that was all the impetus I needed when this album (with bassist Nolan Verner and guitarist Dave Preston) turned up. Let's just say Shimabukuro is unlike any other...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro set for 'Paramount Center for the Arts' / BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
    Posted At: January 30, 2020 12:00 AM

    Who? Days before his debut in Bristol, folks may be inclined to express such in response to mentions of the name Jake Shimabukuro. But go ahead, attend Shimabukuro's show Friday at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tennessee. Stride in unsure. Exit convinced. No one plays a ukulele quite to the level of acumen and showmanship as Shimabukuro. Wait … the ukulele? Think not of Tin...
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  • The Jake Shimabukuro trio will show Asheville their energy when they play The Orange Peel / Citizen Times
    Posted At: January 20, 2020 12:00 AM

    There's typically been a difference in the albums that ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro records and how he performs his compositions in concert. That difference is the amount of instrumentation, mostly drums, that are absent from the road. Shimabukuro made the difficult decision to not use drums on his upcoming project, an album titled "Trio" that will be released on Feb. 14. "The reason I wanted to do ...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro takes the spotlight at the Cerritos Center / OC Breeze
    Posted At: October 19, 2018 12:00 AM

    Noted for his "buoyant musicianship" and "brisk proficiency" by The New York Times and named a musical "hero" by Rolling Stone, ukulele sensation Jake Shimabukuro takes the spotlight at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) on Friday, November 30, 8:00 PM. It's rare for a young musician to earn comparisons to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. It's even harder to find an artist w...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' makes Guitar World - top 10 ukulele moments
    Posted At: July 20, 2018 12:00 AM

    The ukulele. Since it went from a pillar of jazz to a largely mass-produced plastic instrument manufactured by the millions in the Forties, Fifties and Sixties, the ukulele has been on the receiving end of a fair share of scorn from guitarists. This criticism though, isn't terribly fair. In defense of the ukulele, we here at Guitar World have collected 10 videos that show the versatility and usefulne...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro returns to New Bedford's Zeiterion PAC / SouthCoastToday.com
    Posted At: March 28, 2018 12:00 AM

    Not a lot of musicians get compared to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. But most musicians don't continually take their instruments to levels never thought possible. For most people the ukulele is a happy-go-lucky toy, but for the Hawaiian - Jake Shimabukuro it's an opportunity for wunderkind wizardry and exceptional proficiency. From cartoons to conservatories Shimabukuro has continually transcended genres...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro, in Atlanta for City Winery shows, stops by WABE for City Lights
    Posted At: February 13, 2018 12:00 AM

    Jake Shimabukuro does more with four strings than most guitarists do with six. He is a Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso who has been touring the world over the last 16 years. He's collaborated with everyone from Yo-Yo Ma to Bette Midler. Shimabukuro plays City Winery on Monday and Tuesday nights February 12, 13.  The musician began playing at age 4 when his mother gave him the instrument. Years later, ...
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  • WoodSong Kid plays with legendary guitarist Tommy Emmanuel / Belleville News-Democrat
    Posted At: January 11, 2018 12:00 AM

    The historic stage in Lexington, Kentucky, played host to stars Ray Charles, B.B. King, Count Basie, Mercer Ellington, Billy Brown and Wynonie Harris. And now 16 year old Bryce Paubel was about to play a duet with his musical hero and picking legend, Tommy Emmanuel. He's only played guitar for a year, but this teen just got to play with a legend on TV. Bryce was that week's "WoodSong Kid" on ...
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  • Happy Xmas (War Is Over) with Jake Shimabukuro and Yo-Yo Ma makes Journal & Courier holiday playlist
    Posted At: December 21, 2017 12:00 AM

    What's on your playlist through the holidays? The question couldn't get any simpler than that, posed to nearly a dozen Greater Lafayette musicians, radio folks, entertainers and characters as Christmas and New Year's near. What did we get? Standards and guilty pleasures. Crooners and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. TV specials and MTV throwbacks. Funk and soul. (No "Fairy Tale of New York" by the Pogues or...
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  • The man who made the ukulele cool, coming to Kutztown / Reading Eagle
    Posted At: October 23, 2017 12:00 AM

    Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro will appear with his trio Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Kutztown PA's University's Schaeffer Auditorium, as part of the KU Presents! series, allowing the audience to see what he can do with four strings on songs like George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." It's been a little over 10 years since Shimabukuro's i...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro returns to Fox Theatre / Visalia Times-Delta
    Posted At: May 18, 2017 12:00 AM

    Virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, who comes May 26 to the Visalia Fox Theatre, has been touring the world, delighting audiences and using the uke to educate. Shimabukuro recently spoke to Choices about the instrument's sudden pop culture explosion. Shimabukuro says the ukulele's nylon strings make playing, and practicing a lot easier on the hands than, say a guitar with its metal strings. The ease of use benefi...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro set for Fox Theatre / Visalia Times-Delta
    Posted At: April 13, 2017 12:00 AM

    Honolulu ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro returns May 26 to the Visalia Fox Theatre. Shimabukuro has performed a sold-out show at The Cellar Door and at the Visalia Fox Theatre in 2007, 2008 and 2011. Shimabukro's first Youtube video has been viewed more than eight million times and he has performed on stage with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Yo-Yo Ma, Les Paul, Jimmy Buffet and many more. He wa...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro back in the islands at the Blue Note / Hawaii Public Radio
    Posted At: April 5, 2017 12:00 AM

    Jake Shimabukuro is back in the islands through Wednesday at the Blue Note Hawaii. His shows feature cellist Josh Nakazawa of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra joining him for several numbers. He spoke with HPR All Things Considered Host Dave Lawrence about some of his prior collaborative efforts, including experiences with Jimmy Buffett, Bette Midler and Ziggy Marley. The open-ended creative e...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro hips us to Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' on Ukulele / Reverb
    Posted At: March 19, 2017 12:00 AM

    Following his amazing rendition of Eleanor Rigby at our NAMM booth and a tour through his pedalboard, Jake Shimabukuro was kind of enough to give Reverb a lesson about learning songs on the ukulele. Just like with his pedal selection, Jake puts a lot of thought into what works specifically with his instrument of choice. When it comes to learning a song, this means he'll occasionally change the key to mak...
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  • Jake Shimakuro nails it at ABT / Billings Gazette review
    Posted At: March 9, 2017 12:00 AM

    Ukulele great Jake Shimakuro was introduced Wednesday night at the Alberta Bair Theater as a "major performer in his prime." ABT board member Larry Martin nailed it with his intro for Shimabukuro, who went on to blaze through 90 minutes of iconic rock covers and original songs. The Hawaiian native travels the world showcasing his virtuoso mastery of the humble ukulele. Dozens of hands went up when Sh...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro sells out Eugene's Jaqua Hall / Oregon Daily Emerald
    Posted At: March 6, 2017 12:00 AM

    Ukulele hero Jake Shimabukuro sold out the 800-seat Jaqua Hall to an audience of a wide age range on Friday night. Renowned for his ability to play all parts to popular cover songs, performed in Eugene, promoting his new album, "Nashville Sessions." The record is his first with all original material and reached No. 3 on Billboard's charts for Contemporary Jazz Albums. "Nashville Sessions" is a daring alb...
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  • In Eugene for Shedd institute, Jake Shimabukuro is LIVE at KLCC
    Posted At: March 3, 2017 12:00 AM

    Jake Shimabukuro has become the world's foremost ukulele player, taking the instrument into a wild range of musical realms beyond its Hawaiian origins. His most recent CD, Nashville Sessions, is an electric trio release with bassist Nolan Verner and percussionist Evan Hutchings. A multifaceted and engaging recording the age-old Hawaiian instrument reaches previously undreamed of levels of ...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro set for Boise's - Egyptian Theatre / Idaho Statesman
    Posted At: March 3, 2017 12:00 AM

    Think you know what ukulele music is supposed to sound like? Prepare for a friendly uke rebuke. Hawaii-raised, Japanese-American Jake Shimabukuro throws out everything we know about ukulele and replaces it with creativity and jaw-dropping technical prowess. He attacks the small, four-string ax with equal parts reverence and aggression while unleashing everything from traditional acoustic music ...
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  • Join CBC Calgary as Arts Commons presents Jake Shimabukuro as part of the BD+P World Music Series
    Posted At: February 25, 2017 12:00 AM

    Join CBC Calgary as Arts Commons presents Jake Shimabukuro as part of the BD+P World Music Series, March 9 at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Shimabukuro has taken the ukulele, this seemingly simple instrument, to new heights, with his energetic reinterpretations of "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Ave Maria," and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," making him a viral star. Shimabukuro now travels the world, collabo...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro set for The Egyptian / Boise Weekly
    Posted At: February 20, 2017 12:00 AM

    Peace-loving ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro isn't a stranger to Boise, but he could play here every week and we wouldn't grow tired of him. Shimabukuro's skill, style and technique introduced the ukulele to a whole new audience, and the joyful yet reverent way he approaches the sweet little stringed instrument has made him one of the most beloved artists working today. His new album, Nashvil...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro talks gig rig with Reverb
    Posted At: February 15, 2017 12:00 AM

    Ukulele phenomenon Jake Shimabukuro has brought a level of virtuosity to the ukulele that has rarely been seen and now has reached new creative heights on ‘Nashville Sessions.' Nashville Sessions, is an adventurous, multifaceted, engaging recording, and in Shimabukuro's gifted hands, the age-old Hawaiian instrument has become a medium for previously undreamed of levels of expressivenes...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro set for Redwood City?s Fox Theatre / The Mercury News
    Posted At: February 11, 2017 12:00 AM

    Most people used to think of ukulele as a simple instrument, confined to island music, children's ditties and 1920s nostalgia. But these days, ukuleles are used to great effect in contemporary recordings across genres. Paul McCartney, Eddie Vedder, Train and Dave Matthews have all utilized the instrument. And Hawaiian musical artist Jake Shimabukuro, who can play complex arrangements with blazing speed, ...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro, set for Music Box in Little Italy / The San Diego Union-Tribune
    Posted At: February 9, 2017 12:00 AM

    th only four strings and two octaves, the ukulele is a limited instrument. But not for Hawaii's Jake Shimabukro, who rose to prominence with his 2004 version of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (which now has more than 15 million YouTube views)." His virtuoso solo renditions of Chick Corea's "Spain," Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Johann Sebastian Bach's Two Part Invention No. 4 in D...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro helps Ala Wai Elementary revive music program / khon2 - tv Honolulu
    Posted At: February 9, 2017 12:00 AM

    Ala Wai Elementary School received a musical treat Wednesday, courtesy of Jake Shimabukuro. The local musician teamed up with the non-profit Music for Life Foundation to present the school with dozens of ukuleles. Twenty-two of them were actually found damaged in a school closet and repaired by Shimabukuro himself. Leo Daquioag, Music for Life Foundation CEO, president, and founder, explained that when t...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro shares his music and thoughts with us at NAMM 2017 / Reverb
    Posted At: January 26, 2017 12:00 AM

    The winter NAMM show in Anaheim is often as busy as it is exciting for everyone in attendance. This year was no exception, with Reverb staffers moving a mile a minute to make sure that we were getting coverage of every exciting development to share with all of you. In such a hectic environment, it's important to take a second to remember the real reason why we all love music and why we're all at ...
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  • Watch Jake Shimabukuro and stereophile whistler extraordinaire - Jason Victor Serinus close out CES 2017
    Posted At: January 25, 2017 12:00 AM

    On the final day of the CES 2017 show, our special guest, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro and stereophile's very own Jason Victor Serinus came together to form the most unlikely of duos. We originally attempted to film this while in a moving gondola but were sternly prohibited from doing so by the gondola ride manager. Though you may only know him as an invaluable member of Stereophile's writin...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro brings 'Nashville Sessions' to 100.5 Co-op Radio Vancouver
    Posted At: January 19, 2017 12:00 AM

    Ukulele phenomenon Jake Shimabukuro reaches new creative heights on ‘Nashville Sessions.' One of the most adventurous, multifaceted and engaging recordings yet from the man whose music has redefined the ukulele for the 21st century. In Shimabukuro's gifted hands, the age-old Hawaiian instrument has become a medium for previously undreamed of levels of expressiveness and musicianship. And wi...
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  • WI's 'Door Community Auditorium' winter season opens with Jake Shimabukuro - Life on Four Strings / Green Bay Press Gazette
    Posted At: January 11, 2017 12:00 AM

    Along with the Belle and the Bohemian concert Jan. 14 for the Coffeehouse Concert Series, Door Community Auditorium's winter season opens with a winter luau/ukulele jam/movie screening and a lecture on student activism in South Africa. The Movies at the Door series offers a Hawaiian-themed evening in conjunction with a screening of the Public Broadcasting System documentary "Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Fou...
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  • Is it Jake or is it digital? / stereophile
    Posted At: January 9, 2017 12:00 AM

    It's safe to say our experiment bringing Jake Shimabukuro to CES this year as a live music reference worked out pretty well. Response was overwhelmingly positive and we're sifting through the comments and will start filing reports on each of the seven rooms we visited over the next week or so. Comparing live musicians to their recorded selves as been done at CES and other shows many times. But to...
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  • Jake Shimabukuro joins Stereophile at CES 2017
    Posted At: January 3, 2017 12:00 AM

    Stereophile tried something a little different for our CES coverage last year: we brought a musician to the show. Graham Nash heard his yet-to-be-released album, This Path Tonight, on a variety of systems at the Venetian, and provided his unique commentary on the results. This year several new artist names were tossed about, and when Jake Shimabukuro came up we jumped at the chance to bring him to Las Ve...
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